I've read several translations of the Daodejing over the years and have studied the Yi Jing as well (I Ching). And I, like you, was drawn to China by my studies and my fascination for Asian cultures. This interest was originally spawned in Japan where I lived for two years from 18-20 and where I learned that much of Japanese history and culture can be traced back to their own fascination with China - especially during the Tang Dynasty period. Interestingly, the best examples of Tang architecture can be found, still preserved, in Japan.

Also, similar to you, one of my degrees is in Asian Studies and Second Language Acquisition Theory, followed up by later studies in Applied Linguistics. And I also had to learn the hard way by going to China as an English teacher, and viewing the country with eyes wide open, that I had a somewhat skewed perception of how things really were. In a way, I had been making the classic mistake of believing what I wanted to believe rather than believing what should have been obvious.

Yes, the value of the Chinese classics should not be viewed as only applicable to China or Asia in general. Nor should great Western works be seen as only valuable to Western minds. Personally, I find a great deal of universal value in the works of Emerson and his student Henry David Thoreau. Unfortunately, the most valueable works of both Western and Eastern literature seem to be largely ignored these days - collecting dust on library shelves while the whole of humanity seeks salvation beneath the money tree.

Well, one thing about China that I appreciate is its transparency. The other side of that coin is that what is revealed is not a pretty picture. I appreciate the efforts of those in this forum to warn other teachers and would be teachers about the pitfalls of teaching in China, especially in the private sector; however, as you noted in an earlier post, closing down the schools is simply not going to happen - it's like the classic situation of chasing after windmills. My opinion is that China should be avoided all together until a serious effort is made to right some serious wrongs. As you, Turnoi, have discovered, there are plenty of other places where one can endeavor to do good and where the possibility of making a difference is genuine.

"A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting."
Henry David Thoreau